Memories on the Move – Merlijn Smeele

Photo credits

Merlijn Smeele

May 29, 2021

Nijmegen, Netherlands

May 29, 2021

Nijmegen, Netherlands

An exploration and collection of stories that connect us with each other, our surroundings and ourselves.

On May 29 I will run a 117 km social expedition through nature and history on a beautiful regional loop path around Nijmegen, the oldest city in the Netherlands.

Finding crossroads
It’s the city where my mother was raised. I moved here to give care to her and my uncle without really knowing the city or anyone. As their world grew smaller, so did mine.
But through running I discovered the many faces of this beautiful city and region and its diverse natural and cultural memory. These explorations reconnected me to life, to people and their stories.
So that’s why I’ll run this route around Nijmegen, to enjoy and celebrate connections.

And by sharing photos from my training journeys with my mom and uncle, bygone ages and never told stories about their youth sometimes float to the surface. This makes it a joint adventure full of precious moments even though we can’t walk the path together.

“Without people to tell its story, a trail is just a line left behind.”
Robert Moor, author of On Trails

What’s your story?
I invite you to share your favorite place or trail and why it’s meaningful to you. It can be a drawing, photo, inspirational quote, poem or wish.
It can be Nijmegen but also other places and other countries.

The stories will be marked on a story map, so we can explore all favorite places and moments and connect the world together.

Join me?
I plan to run the 107K route on May 29 in 15-20 hours and you can follow me with a live tracker, so you can hook up anywhere.
I’ll roughly follow the 117K Nijmegen Streekpad route but I adjusted it a bit to stay within the Netherlands because of the Corona restrictions and also to make it accessible for the crew and supporters by bike.
But you can also accompany me virtually wherever you are at any pace you like.
And encouragement from the sideline is equally valuable!

More details about this project, the route, my preparation and how you can join or support me, I will share here shortly.

Merlijn Smeele

While completing over 25 races within 5 years, I learned how to cover and enjoy distances from 10 to 90K, without major injuries. In 2017 I started training for more adventurous races abroad, including my first 100miler. Since my DNF (Did Not Finish) at the Javelina Jundred in October 2017, I’ve been on a humble journey to get back on track after a long-term injury. It took me three (!) years with many ups and downs, but since January 2021 I’m back in training and feel better and stronger than ever. I enjoy the lifelong journey of gradual improvement, growing the distance,...

More Details

Streekpad Nijmegen

Nijmegen, The Netherlands

A 117K route circling around Nijmegen, the oldest town of the Netherlands.This path shows the beautiful variety of landscapes with winding dykes, mills, lakes, river sand dunes, rolling forests, and peaceful nature. You’ll experience the fascinating history of the region, from Roman trade routes, castles and centuries-old pilgrimage places to strategically located fortified towns such as Ravenstein and Grave that played an important role in World War II. The terrain is a mixture of unpaved paths and concrete. The route is marked by yellow/red signs. NB: Because of Corona I’ll adjust the route of the last 2 stages just a bit, so I won’t need to cross the border to Germany and can stay within the Netherlands. It might shorten...

Trail details

De Waagh

De Waagh (weigh house) is special to me because my grandfather used to have his office here when he was director of local government structures. It was originally used to...

Waal River

I love running along the Waal river because it gives beautiful views. My mother used to swim across the river as a child. The Waal plays an important role in...

Cultural memory
The Memory is one of the oldest and most frequently visited databases on art, culture and history of the Netherlands.
Nijmegen Blijft In Beeld is an audiovisal archive of the city Nijmegen and its surroundings.
Regionaal Archief is the regional archive about the history of Nijmegen region.

Human memory
Mental Health
Mental Health and Memory
Dementia; how it affects us all

Caregiving Tools & Services
Home Instead provides personalized home care tailored to the needs of each senior, making their life safer and easier (Global).
ZZG Zorggroep helps to improve or maintain people's health and quality of life at home or in an assisted living facility together with their personal network (Netherlands).
Familienet is an app to share daily moments with your loved ones (Netherlands).
CarenZorgt is a care portal to share messages, tasks and calendar events with family and caregivers (Netherlands).
Memory well tells the stories of those who can't tell their own, helping caregivers understand them and improve their quality of life (USA).
TimeSlips brings meaning and purpose into the lives of elders through creative engagement (Global).
eWare offers an integration of motion sensors of Sensara and social robotic technology of Tinybot to help informal caregivers give and sustain care to family members with dementia (Europe).

Partnerships

Memories on the Move – Merlijn Smeele

Memories on the Move – Merlijn Smeele

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